Is it just me or is Dun Laoghaire depressing?

estebancambias

I was in ther today and Oh my God did I have one hell of an empty feeling. Its too quiet for my liking, the shops are terrible(Penny's FFS), and for some reason there is more hairdressers/barbers in the locality than there is Micky D's in NYC.

It can be nice during the summer(July if the day is nice) but man do I hate the place...erghhhhhhhhhh


The pier is nice and everything to be fair.

Maximilian

I lived in the Pavillion apartments for about 3 years. I agree with you - its a depressing place apart from the pier area, which is great and has even improved in the last year or two.

Fratton Fred

Bloomfields started off well and then quickly went down hill and is now pretty much empty. The shopping centre has been done up nicely but yeah, it is one depressing place. It's a shame, because as a town it has a hell of a lot of potential and a few very nice places, but the whole area around georges street/marine road is, like you say, depressing

eclectichoney

Ah now marine road is quite cool these days. V nice H&H, OBriens, meadows & Byrne, Insomnia and a new Subway! But Georges St is totally depressing, so many shops closing down as well.

deedee lepoopoo

I think Dun Laoghaire is a beautiful place.... but then again I'd be more into the nature and the sean then the shops on the Main Street....

Rb

It's beautiful on a nice summers day, but it appears a load of knacker kids are hanging around there these days, so that's certainly not helping matters. The shopping centre is shíte but there's a few nice places to eat and the pier is a great place to kill some time on a nice day.

Tabnabs

Dun Laoghaire is a bit of a anomaly in sth county Dublin. It is surrounded by some of the most exclusive suburbs in the country, but in itself is almost a ghetto. It has a very high percentage of scumbags and has a run down feeling to it. Down by the harbour is probably the most attractive part, along with the peoples park. It also has the dubious record of the only abrakababra (sp?) where someone was killed (many years ago now, but a fight broke out and a guy on the ground got a kick to the upper body and his neck snapped against the counter). I have heard that it's still not a place to wander around after dark...

Fratton Fred

eclectichoney wrote: »

Ah now marine road is quite cool these days. V nice H&H, OBriens, meadows & Byrne, Insomnia and a new Subway! But Georges St is totally depressing, so many shops closing down as well.

Marine road is nice, but the Marine Road/Georges street junction is the area I meant as being depressing.

It's a shame, because there are some real gems in Dun Laoghaire, I looked at renting a shop to open there once and the rents are a rip off, I think that could be why everywhere is closing down. The only places that can afford the rents are coffee shops and mobile phone shops.

Show_me_Safety

yeah,
i agree. DL is a bit of a ghetto alright.
i used to work there and felt really unsafe after dark...even if it was only 7 pm on a sunday night there'd still be young wans hanging around!
why bother renovating the shopping centre when all it has are shops better suited to liffey street and moore street and half-arsed chain stores.
at least your spoilt for choice if your looking for a tescos.

Kenjd

<Please dont disclose Insider infomation> - Agent Smith


It really doesnt help when you see all the junkies hanging 'round Easons and the fact that there are half a dozen second hand stores/charity shops in the town.
A mate of mine got her purse stolen on the main street about 3 weeks ago by a pickpocket...nasty!
The imposing sight of the old shopping center is very unwelcoming...mmmm all that nice brown brickwork.
The bars are not great, there are only a handful of good pubs in Dun Laoire.
That nightclub in the shopping center is full of knackers, as well as the latest offering Lime Bar.

although the seafront is lovely and very nice for a walk.

eclectichoney

I thought Lime looked quite nice for a coffee / sambo in the middle of the day kinda thing though? DL reminds me a bit of rathmines I guess, which is also a bit run down in parts / skobified (:rolleyes:) and yet really nice in parts too (Don't forget the people's park / clarinda park area which is lovely). maybe it's just a curse of busy / large suburban town centres??

cunning-doll

They need to get rid of that methadone clinic!!!

Anyone been in DL for the festival of world cultures? Its a completely different place - amazing and fun! I'd live there if it was always like that! IMHO its better than ******!!

Pepe LeFrits

Not a fan of DL for the reasons mentioned, although the area around the 40ft is nice.

cunning-doll wrote: »

They need to get rid of that methadone clinic!!!

Indeed. It's like how there's an STI clinic on Haddington Road by Baggot Street, smack bang in the centre of an area that is lovely otherwise.

CourierCollie

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Not a fan of DL for the reasons mentioned, although the area around the 40ft is nice.

Indeed. It's like how there's an STI clinic on Haddington Road by Baggot Street, smack bang in the centre of an area that is lovely otherwise.

Jeez, did you ever consider that the clinic might be handy for those who need it. Must really ruin the atmos for you:p.

Pepe LeFrits

I doubt it is much use to the locals.

Perhaps if it was better located the people who frequent it wouldn't have to travel so far, would be less agitated as a result and thus less inclined to get into shouting matches outside it all the time. If nothing else, it'd make it a lot easier for all the mothers to get there with their prams.

CourierCollie

Really meant the one on Haddington road, I'm not familliar with the one in Dun Laoghaire. Used to live on Haddington road, remember everyone up in arms over the people the clinic brought into the area.
I found it handy for the odd blood test meself.

WoollyRedHat

But the thing is that it could be improved. Time to start writing to our local tds, turn threads into action!

cirym42

Dun L has always been a bit depressing - I remember growing up in the 70's and early 80's, it always had a drab feeling about it.

I spent a night out recently with some friends, ate in The GastroPub and then had a few drinks in the bar above the Pavillion. That small area has improved a bit.

pork99

The problem with Dun Laoghaire is that its population is ageing. I've heard that a couple of schools in the borough have had to close because there were not enough children to form intake classes.

Young middle class/working people from Dun Laoghaire starting families cannot afford the property prices there so they've ended up moving away to places that might be on the other side of Leixlip.

The result is the remaining population is made up of aging owner-occupiers and those housed by the state. I'm not saying everyone who lives in council housing is a skanger but the latter fact probably explains this;

Dyflin wrote: »

It has a very high percentage of scumbags and has a run down feeling to it.... It also has the dubious record of the only abrakababra (sp?) where someone was killed (many years ago now, but a fight broke out and a guy on the ground got a kick to the upper body and his neck snapped against the counter). I have heard that it's still not a place to wander around after dark...

and this

Kenjd wrote: »

It really doesnt help when you see all the junkies hanging 'round Easons and the fact that there are half a dozen second hand stores/charity shops in the town.
A mate of mine got her purse stolen on the main street about 3 weeks ago by a pickpocket...nasty!... That nightclub in the shopping center is full of knackers, as well as the latest offering Lime Bar.

Of course this may resolve itself as house prices fall and the ageing owner-occupier population inevitably dies off freeing up property.

Dun laoire

I wish somebody would sort out a decent nightclub in the place. Bring back scruples all is forgiven